How To Become The Hero of Your Own Life

I recently listened to an amazing interview Ed Mylett had with Robin Sharma. Robin is a mega author who wrote, “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari.” He wrote this book in story form and it was easy to understand…I actually read it to my three daughters as well. 

Most recently, Robin wrote a book titled “The Everyday Hero Manifesto” in which he talks about mindset shifts needed in order to become your own hero…it REALLY resonated with me, so I figured I’d create content around this topic to raise your awareness of this fascinating concept.  

But first…some super quick background info. Robin is a very successful author who has dedicated the last 20 years to seeing how much he can improve himself. He’s had a lot of coaches over the years and has done extensive research in order to write this book. Before he got into the personal development space, he was an attorney that got burned out on the job. 

His lessons really resonate with me because they are so concrete…and he is a master storyteller. You can also tell he eats his own dog food and has put a lot of time and money into improving himself. 

Be the Hero of Your Own Life

I wanted to write about this topic because it’s a mindset shift that I think everyone needs to know about. This concept is actually revealing itself to me in other areas of my life, including the Optimize Coach program I’m taking…I guess the saying, “The teacher will appear when the student is ready.” carries some truth! Maybe the same is true for you?

OK, so the goal with this blog is to help you start thinking about how you can become the hero of your own life. You may not think of yourself becoming your own hero, but now that it’s on your radar…once you’re aware of something, you can’t become unaware. And I’m going to share with you why this concept is important and why I believe you should focus on this in your life. 

Why It’s Important To Be Your Own Hero

Being the hero of your own life means you take full responsibility for making yourself the best version you can be for yourself and for those around you. It’s a worthwhile goal and the mission is to try and improve 1% every day. 

When becoming your own hero is part of your life story, you’ll become the person your family, friends, and the world need. Why wouldn’t you want to become better than what you are today? Especially if it means having a lasting impact on others? 

When becoming your own hero, it might scare you to think about the changes you need to make. Maybe you are letting your fears of uncertainty hold you back. . But a hero’s journey is filled with overcoming fear. 

Take Small Actions Even When You Don’t Feel Ready

I want to encourage you to embark on this mission even if you’re not fully ready. My first step was to remind myself that if I wait until I feel like doing something…I’ll likely never feel ready. Don’t wait until XYZ is in place…instead, take small steps, even if it’s just one or two per day. Just start moving forward. 

Doing the right thing when you don’t feel like it can change the way you feel. Sometimes you have to take action in order for you to be excited about doing it. It’s like working out…once you start working out, you typically feel more motivated to keep going.

Feelings follow behavior.

Action creates momentum.

This is where routines really help you. There are mornings when I don’t feel like doing my morning routine, but I do it anyway. After a few minutes, I get into it. Don’t worry about feeling like doing something, just do it anyway. It’s like when you set goals. Even achieving small goals can be helpful.  

Strategies on Becoming Your Own Hero

I’ve written about a lot of these strategies before in other aspects of personal development. You’ll see that the key to becoming your own hero and advancing your personal development journey is to put in the reps and consistently make the right decisions (perfection is not possible, but get it right most of the time). 

Daily routines are really important for you to see progress on your goals. Many of my own personal heroes follow daily routines, and I bet some of your personal heroes do as well. So on that note, here are the strategies you can put in place to become your own hero:

1. Take Full Responsibility 

Whether good or bad, your life is the sum of the habits you have in place. Change is hard and it won’t be easy to kill off those bad habits…well, it won’t be easy until it is. The more you do something, the easier it gets. Take full responsibility for your life choices and the habits you have in place. 

2. Develop a Morning Routine

Morning routines can encompass a lot of different things, but the general idea is starting the day off by investing in yourself via specific exercises such as gratitude practice, journaling, meditation and more. Depending on the season of life I’m in, I also like to mix things up. For example, right now I’m reading a chapter of a book as part of my morning routine.

I think that reading daily is essential to being a leader…and all of us are leaders of ourselves. Even if you only have time to read 3 pages per day, it will introduce you to new ways of thinking and will build your momentum. 

3. Take Time to Journal 

Journaling on a regular basis is a great way to advance on your personal development journey. To start, I want you to take an hour and journal on what it looks like to be your own hero. Here are a few prompts to help you: 

1. What does it mean for me to be my own hero? 
2. What does the hero version of myself look like?
3. How does that person compare to who I am right now? 
4. What am I doing (or not doing) that will help me close the gap between who I am and who I can become? 

It will really help you to get crystal clear on what the hero version of you looks like because it will give you a target to aim for. 

4. Exercise Every Day and Eat Well

A hero’s journey can involve taking care of yourself physically. Your own well-being depends on it.

Exercising is important for your health, but it also helps you to feel happier and calmer because of the endorphins it releases. When you exercise, you can easily do habit stacking where you listen to a podcast or Audible to educate yourself. Or, you can use it as a time of silence to connect with your environment and unplug i.e. going for a walk outside…so relaxing! 

Also, eating well is essential to feeling good and having the energy to tackle the day. I’m not saying you can’t ever splurge, but do what you can to focus on eating right 90% of the time. 

5. Join a Mastermind

Joining a mastermind is a critical part of personal development in my opinion. I’m a part of a few different mastermind groups that all have a different purpose. These groups are well worth the money and time I invest in them. 

I encourage you to find a group you can resonate with and don’t be afraid to bail out if it’s not working for you. Look for a group that pushes you outside your comfort zone, but also has people in the group who can act as a support system for you. 

In my groups, I’ve been pushed to lead sessions (not comfortable for me!), become vulnerable with others, and be inspired to make changes. Joining a mastermind group is one of the top “hacks” I recommend to people who are trying to grow in their personal development.

6. Look for Ways to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone

What does it look like for you to get out of your comfort zone? Maybe it’s speaking to strangers or doing things you don’t know how to do. Don’t let the fear of something keep you from trying new things. You’ll likely make mistakes, but that’s ok. 

Case in point:

When I wrote my book, I read it over after getting it printed and found some mistakes I made and other things I wanted to change. Sigh. Not only did I make these errors, but about a month after I started selling the book, I realized I didn’t have artwork on the spine of the book. Sigh again, lol.

What I want you to take away from this point is that you don’t have to do something perfectly. Instead, be willing to try new things and to make mistakes. Focus on learning and doing instead of getting everything correct right from the start. 

Ready. Fire. Aim.

7. Expect Challenges and Be Ok With Them

Life is a constant state of change and filled with obstacles you have to overcome. Expect that you will have challenges you have to deal with and be ok with it. How you react to the problems is within your control, not the problem itself. Go into life knowing that problems will happen…and when they do, they’ll suck less because you expected them. 

Share Your Hero’s Journey With Others

The last thing I want to mention is this…share your hero’s journey with other people. Let your friends, family, and acquaintances know the path you’re on. Sharing your own story with others can empower them to become their own hero. 

Ripple effect.

Just like this concept may have never crossed your mind until you read this blog, the same could be true for the other people in your life. When you’re ready, start sharing with others. 

Key Takeaways

• Take responsibility for your actions.
• Get clear on what the hero version of yourself looks like.
• Put routine things in place so you can become your own hero.
• Create your hero’s journey and share it with others.